INSIGHT
type of link, you will fall foul of Google
at some point; be it now, or in the future.
You are creating a pattern that a machine
or human can identify, and that pattern
is a clear signal to Google that you are
attempting to manipulate its algorithm.
Guest blogging has a future as a
tactic for link building, but only when
used sparingly as one of many. The key
question, as one of my colleagues put it, is
this: would you still undertake the activity
if you weren’t acquiring a link for it?
In short, do the brand awareness
opportunities or direct traffic on offer
justify the time commitment? If the
answer is no, then it is unlikely that the
opportunity it worthwhile. But if the
answer is yes, and you are genuinely
excited about your brand appearing on the
blog, then it needs no further thought.
The important thing here is to clearly
understand the distinction between guest
blogging for your brand on meaningful and
reputable sites that share common themes
with your business, and the kind of lowest
common denominator guest blogging
that is designed to harvest links for
the sake of links.
Of course, this is purely academic,
as we know that, on the whole, this has
never been the intention of ‘guest posters’
undertaking this tactic in a systematic way.
Money usually changes hands, and
ultimately, links talk in SEO. And of
course, while things might be black and
white for other sectors, they are definitely
not in gaming. Money helps lubricate the
process of acquiring links and that is not
going to change any time soon.
So, what’s next?
A robust content marketing and
outreach strategy is more crucial than
ever before. Links must be earned and not
shoved into weak-looking, low quality guest
posts on sites which are riddled with paid
links. It’s too obvious and will only yield
short-term resu